“I like to tell stories,” says Christian Kang

Darwin might be a small town, but they’ve got bartenders with big personalities — and that’s true of Christian King, the bar manager at Charlie’s of Darwin. He’ll greet with you a smile, and offer up drinks service that might have you falling in love with Darwin just the way he did.

He’s got a way with drinks, and that’s what saw him make it as one of the top 25 bartenders in the Espolòn Afterlife To The Bone cocktail competition this year.

If you’re in Darwin, you can get a taste of his entry into the competition, called Ramona Tingle, at Charlie’s throughout August. And if his drink impresses the judges, you might even see him in Sydney for the national final during Sydney Bar Week next month.

Below, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, Christian tells us about his drink, how it came about, and why he’s made a home for himself in Darwin.

So Christian, where are we right now?

Alright, my name is Christian Kang, I’m the bar manager at Charles of Darwin and yeah, we are exactly at Darwin, the hottest part in Australia, I would say. But I like the heat.

Tell us about your drink. What’s your drink called?

So my drink is called Ramona Tingle. I got the inspiration from the Fruit Tingle. It’s an Australian classic — feel that everyone loved it back in the day. But nobody sells it anymore.

There’s two of my regulars came up. I just what kind of drink did you drink back in the day, when you were young? Because they’re in their 60s, right? She told me she used to love the Fruit Tingle back in the day.

What’s in your take on the drink?

Basically I made a little bit of milk clarification. That’s the method that I like. And then I put Espolòn Blanco in initially, but I changed it to the Reposado to bring out the tequila flavours more. I made up a mixed berries shrub with apple cider and a Japanese grain vinegar. And then I clarified it with some salted pineapple oleo.

I top it off with Sichuan pepper, which is crushed, it gives it a tingling sensation, and some mixed berry foam as well. And the foam itself, it creates like a tingling sensation, hence the name, Ramona Tingle.

Tell us about Charlie’s here. What’s this bar all about?

So Charlie’s was founded by our founder, Rebecca, back in the 2020. I believe 15 days just right before COVID happened.

We have live DJs, live reggae and everything. It’s all about a fun place, you know what I mean? If you’re in Darwin, come to Charlie’s.

And how long have you been in hospitality?

It’s been on and off since the first time I become bartender, at the Hard Rock Cafe, Jakarta, back in my university years. I was doing part-time right there. It was in 2014. And then I moved to Darwin, it was my first time in Australia. And I moved back home, finished my study, then I went to Dubai to work as a bartender. It’s really hot Dubai, it’s hotter than Darwin. And then I went to Bali, Jakarta, Singapore, and then I came back to Darwin because I think I fell in love with Darwin.

What do you love about Darwin?

The heat. I’m originally from Indonesia, it’s a tropical country — the heat is always there.

It’s only three and half hours from Darwin, you know what I mean? And then the lovely people, they are really friendly. It’s like, I feel like I belong here. It’s more welcoming.

How do you think about drinks and creativity?

Wow, that’s a really good question. Coming back from my background, it’s like my mum used to have a bakery and a catering company as well. And so I got a little bit of a culinary background from my mum. I used to love cooking. I still love cooking.

And then one day, my ex-manager told me, Chris, you’re really good at customer service. You’re really good at talking with people. I think you’re going to waste that talent if you work in the kitchen. So I figured out, yeah, I like to create things.

I’m a little bit of a nerd. I watch a lot of YouTube channels, a lot of videos. I read a lot of articles, and then I just get to try every single spices and herbs and everything.

Why do you get up and go to work every day? Why do you do what you do?

I like meeting new people, you know? And I think you’ve figured out I’m a talkative person. I like to talk to new people. I get to make friends really easily. I just like to tell stories, man. It’s part of being alive, right? You have your own story, I have my own story, so we share each other’s stories.

Ramona Tingle

Ramona Tingle Mix (Milk Clarification Pre-Mix) - 90ml 
Mix Berries - Szechuan Pepper Foam - Top Up
Garnish: Rainbow Confetti Sprinkle

For the Ramona Tingle Mix - Milk Clarification (For 10 Drinks)
Mix:
450ml Espolon Blanco
150ml Mix Berries Shrub
150ml Pineapple Oleo
150ml Lime Juice

With 180ml Full Cream Milk.
Stir, and wait 10mins until curdled.
Filter it with coffee filter 2-3times until clarified.

For the Mix Berries - Szechuan Pepper Foam - Nitro Charger (1L)
Mix:
150ml Mix Berries Shrub
150ml Aquafaba
150ml Lemon
5 pinch Sea Salt
10gram Crushed Szechuan Pepper
Pour into Nitro Charger, shake well and charge twice up-side down.